Sorrow Search
by max'sgirl13
Summary: Second story in the Soline Chronicles. Marca offers the group an ultimatum, one that may rid them of the researchers for good. When the group agrees to help find Fly, they set out on a journey that can only lead to bad things. What will they find?
1. Ultimatum

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

**Note: This is a sequel to the story Clothed in White Shadow. You might want to read that first if you haven't read it or finished it. –Max'sgirl2013 **

"Marca," spat Soline at the girl. She had a look of disgust on her face.

"I'm surprised that you aren't struggling," noted Marca.

"What, and leave the others to you? No thanks," Soline countered. "And I'm still not going to perform the surgery for you."

"That's not why I came here. I came here to offer you a different choice."

"Does it perchance involve letting us go?" said Husky in a sarcastic manner.

"Actually, it does. If you will do the research facility a favor, one that most likely does not counter your morals, we will never bother you again."

"And what favor is that?"


	2. Details

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

"We need you to help us find Fly," said Marca.

The 5 +anima looked at each other, obviously expecting a much different favor to be asked of them.

"Fly isn't at the research facility?" asked Cooro.

"No," replied Marca. "He flew off with Blanca and never returned, the same day that you ran off after the surgery. Come to think of it, Blanca disappeared too."

"Wait, did you say he FLEW away?" asked Husky. When Marca nodded, he turned to Cooro and said, "So it was FLY that used your anima!"

"So, if we help you find Fly, you'll never bother us again?" asked Soline.

"Exactly that," said Marca. "But we especially need to find Blanca. Too much work has gone into her that we couldn't not make an attempt to find her."

"Do you have a rough idea of where the two went?" asked Nana.

"According to eyewitnesses, he and Blanca were last seen flying over the village of Lilt. We would begin our search there." Marca paused, looked at the 5 with a sad face, and then went back to business. "So, what do you say? Will you help us? Or will you come peacefully to the facility?"

"What if we don't choose either of those options?" said Soline.

"You must choose one or the other. If not, then we will take you to the facility by force," said Marca in a cold tone, a tone that made even Cooro cringe.

" Do you honestly believe that we would-" started Husky, but Cooro cut him off.

"We'll do it," he said to Marca. "Besides," he said turning to face the others, "-I owe Fly a lot."

Soline and Nana nodded, Husky grumbled his half-hearted approval, and Senri just stared off into space like usual.

"All right, then," said Marca. To the men, she said, "Let them go."

The men released the +anima, and as they got to their feet, Marca stepped forward.

"We leave right after lunch."

Note from Max: This next part is a journal entry by Marca. Unless stated otherwise, all the chapters will end this way.

_I convinced the +anima to come with me to Lilt. Cooro, along with the angel, bat, and bear +anima looked content with the idea. The fish +anima looked a little disagreeable. I will keep an eye on him. I hope that we are able to find Fly. He was a wonderful man to serve under (does that make him sound like an army captain?), and he was the only one who could perform the surgery. If I cannot find him, then maybe I can…convince…the angel +anima to do it _

_-Marca Brighton _


	3. Journey

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

This chapter, excluding the journal entry, is from Soline's point of view. –Max

We set out right after lunch on our journey. For the first day, or half of a day, all went well. No obstacles, no issues. Luckily, Marca trusted the 5 of us enough that none of the men went with us, just her.

To be frank, I don't trust her, and neither does Husky. I think she's just using us, and then she'll pull the rug out from underneath us, and says, "Just kidding. The deal's off." Husky feels the exact same way.

"I don't know about you, but I don't trust Marca," said Husky last night. Everyone had fallen asleep, and we were still up. "I see the way she looks at you. It's like you're some jewel that she's just itching to take for her own. I think she's up to something."

"Well, that makes two of us," I replied, happy to have someone to confide in. "We need to keep an eye on her. I'm not the only one she's looking at that way."

We didn't need to say who it was. Both our eyes lingered over to Cooro's sleeping form.

"We need a plan," said Husky.

"Exactly," I said. "We keep a lookout, and at the first sign of treachery, you knock her down, and I grab her. Then I fly away with her, drop her, and then we'll have the wonderful pleasure of watching Marca Brighton going 2-demensional."

I could tell by his almost-evil grin that Husky loved this idea.

"Brilliant," he said, in a voice that almost scared me. "We'll need a code word to alert each other when the time comes."

"I have an idea," I said. I whispered my idea in Husky's ear, and he smiled again.

"Perfect," he said. "Now let's get some sleep."

The next day, we faced some troubles. In between Lilt and us was a humongous mountain. For a while, Marca and Husky argued over the best way to get over it, or, if they should just go around it. Then I remembered that one of the gifts in my arsenal of superpowers could help us.

"You know, we could just fly over," Cooro said for the umpteen millionth time.

"Cooro, for the last time, we all can't fly, and you can't carry any of us over," said Marca.

"But I can," I said. All heads turned to look at me. "Because of my levitation ability, I can carry objects that weigh a ton. I could carry you over."

"Great," said Husky. "Soline can carry Senri and Marca over. Cooro and Nana, you two can carry me."

After we flew over the mountain, there were only a few miles between Lilt and us. But half way, we ran into a little incident. In the valley between the mountain and Lilt, there was a little ledge that jutted out over the valley. There was a little boy about 5 years old that was standing on that ledge arguing with his mother.

"You're mean!" he screamed. "I'm leaving!"

"Oh really?" she said. "And how will you leave?"

"I'll fly away like a bird." He said. He ran out to the edge of the ledge and spread his arms out, ready to jump. "Good Bye!"

"Aaron, don't!" yelled the mother. But it was too late. The boy flung himself off the ledge, but when he finally realized he couldn't fly, he started screaming.

Without thinking, I spread my wings and flew at the boy. But he was falling too fast! Then I remembered the cardinal anima I took from that village boy. I still had it! I summoned it, took it in hand, and flung it at the boy.

When it hit him, he sprouted scarlet colored wings. He was startled, but he stopped himself before he went splat. He giggled, and flew up to his shocked mother.

"Bye bye!" he screamed in delight, and he flew off into the hills.

The angel +anima has surprised me in many ways today. I need to find a way to get her to Astar. But how? That fish +anima has been glaring me. I think he's on to my plan. Did he honestly think I'd let them go? What am I going to do?

_-Marca Brighton _


	4. The Sorrowful Truth

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

**There is no journal entry for the next few chapters. –Max **

In the evening, the travelers finally reached the village of Lilt. They found a cheap inn to stay in while they were there. The next morning, everyone set off in different directions to do different things. Marca, Soline, and Husky went to gather information about where Fly might've disappeared to. Nana went shopping for some new clothes (shocker) and Senri went with her. More like, Nana dragged him off with her. And Cooro, well, Cooro just wandered off to some odd place like he always does.

That evening, everyone gathered in their room at the inn and talked about what they found. Cooro was still out wandering, but no one was worried.

"He'll come back when his stomach calls," Husky had said.

"So," said Soline, "Did anyone find anything today?"

"I found the most gorgeous dress ever," said Nana.

"She meant about Fly," said Husky. "All I got were a few weird looks from a couple of the locals."

"I found a man who said that he saw 2 angels flying over the funeral pier," said Soline. "But nothing else."

"Actually, I found a man that told me that, and more," said Marca. "He told me that, in the afternoon, he saw a white angel flying over the field where the funeral pier was, and there was a black angel in pursuit of the white one. But halfway through the chase, the black angel lost his wings, and began to fall. The white angel disappeared into the clouds, but the black angel continued to fall, and disappeared into the hills."

"It sounds like that was Fly and Blanca," said Husky.

"It probably was," said Marca. "Which means that Blanca is definitely gone, and so is Fly." Tears leaked from Marca's eyes.

"What makes you think Fly is dead?" asked Nana.

Before Marca could explain that Fly wouldn't be able to survive a fall like that, Cooro flew up to the window.

"Guys! I found Fly! He's alive!"


	5. Results

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

Warning: This chapter contains some slightly gory details. –Max

"What did you say?" said Marca, blinking away tears.

"I said Fly's alive!" shouted Cooro. "He's over by the funeral pier!"

"Why didn't one of the townspeople tell us this?" said Soline.

"There hasn't been a funeral since he fell," said Cooro. "Oh, and Blanca's definitely dead. He told me that."

"Cooro, are you sure it's Fly?" asked a doubtful Husky. "It could be anyone."

"No, it's definitely Fly," said Cooro.

"I'll fly over to check his claim," said Soline to Husky. "Maybe he isn't lying." She spread her wings, flew out the window, and disappeared. 3 minutes later, she came back, grimacing.

"Is it Fly?" asked Nana.

"Oh, it's definitely Fly," said Soline, sounding a little sad and queasy. "But Nana, you might want to stay here. It isn't pretty." Soline looked at Husky, who was confused as everyone else, and Husky then understood.

"OH," he said. "Uh, Nana, you definitely want to stay here."

"Okay," said Nana, who was a little sulky. She sat on the bed while everyone else left the inn. But Senri stopped on the way out the door.

"Stay," he said. He sat down on the bed next to Nana and hugged her.

Cooro and Soline led everyone else out to the funeral pier. When they reached the far side of the hill it sat on, they saw him.

"You found me," said Fly.

Husky gasped. Marca recoiled in horror. Cooro and Soline's faces stayed blank, having already seen what had become of Fly.

After being out in the field for a while, Fly had become less attractive than a month old corpse. He was pale white all over, with half of his hair gone. He had scars (some still bleeding) all over his body. He was bent out of shape from the fall, his bones twisted into shapes that in some places came through the skin. His face was gaunt and dead, his skin was drained of all his color, and his eyes had sunk slightly back into his skull.

"I've been waiting for you," he said, in a raspy, dry voice.


	6. The Third Angel

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

"Wh-wh-waiting for us?" stuttered Marca. She was still shocked by Fly's grotesque appearance. Fly smiled at her.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I know what you're probably thinking right now. Probably wondering why I haven't died, right? And yes, I was waiting for you."

"How did you know we were coming?" said Husky.

"I didn't, but I figured that the Research facility would make an effort to find me," said Fly. "Considering that I am the king's nephew, I would be surprised if they didn't try to find me."

"If you don't mind me asking, why aren't you -" Soline, embarrassed to say the word, faltered in her speech.

"Dead?" said Fly, smiling his I-know-what-you're-thinking-because-I'm-smart-like-that smile. "Well, that's a long story. You might want to make yourselves comfortable."

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"When I was a child, my parents wanted me to live forever," began Fly. "Don't ask me why, I do not know. They must've wanted our heritage to literally live on for good. Anyway, there was a magic man who lived near my parents' home. They had pleaded with him to make me live forever, and every time he has denied them their request. But one day, they drove him absolutely crazy. My father had 'accidently' broken windows on his house and left some dents in the outer wall of his hut. But that one day, my father broke a crystal ornament that was greatly valued by the magic man, whose name was Kraden. So that day, Kraden granted my parents' request and allowed me to live forever.

"But when he granted it, the immortality was more like a curse than a blessing with the conditions he added on to it. He made it that only my spirit would truly live on. So, if my body suffered death, it would rot away, but my spirit would linger among the bones for good."

"So, that's what's happening to you right now?" asked Cooro.

"Very true, Cooro. My body will rot away, and my spirit will stay with my remains. But Kraden was not completely heartless. He made it that I could pass on, but only if I was carried up in the arms of an angel."

"So that's why you created Blanca," said Husky.

"Exactly. But then Kraden he said something to me, some sort of like this: 3 will come, but one will leave. 1 and 3 will take, but 2 will forsake."

"What does that mean?" asked Cooro.

"I do not know myself. But I believe it may help me pass on."

"Was Blanca your only attempt at creating an angel?" asked Marca.

"Blanca was the only angel I tried to create, but she was the second angel to cross my path."

"Who was the first?" asked Cooro.

Fly smiled "You were."

"Me?"

"Yes, Cooro. While you are a crow +anima, because of the circumstances in which you became a +anima, you are also a black angel. So, you were the first angel."

"Maybe that's what the rhyme means, then," said Soline. "If there was a third angel, then the rhyme would mean this: 3 angels will come, but one angel will leave. The first and third angels to come will take you on, but the second will lead you to your death. Didn't Blanca leave you and lead you to your death?"

Fly looked puzzled. "Yes, she did. And that does all make sense. But who would the third angel be?"

Soline closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Then, she spread her wings and began to shine. Fly gasped.

"You're the third angel."


	7. Gone

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

**This chapter is somewhat short. –Max DTM **

"That's what I figured," said Soline. Fly was still staring in wonder at her wings.

"So," she said "Are you ready? To go, I mean."

"I've been ready for a week now," said Fly.

"But where are you supposed to go through to get him to heaven?" asked Husky.

At these words, an opening through the clouds formed right above the pier. Light shone through it.

"There's your answer, Husky," said Soline. "Cooro, get ready."

Cooro spread his wings, and he and Soline grabbed Fly. Soline grabbed his torso and Cooro grabbed his legs. He was still a little grossed out by Fly's appearance, and touching him wasn't helping him getting used to it.

The 2 angels spread their wings and began to fly up with Fly, while Marca, Husky, and Senri watched from the ground. They flew higher and higher until they reached the clouds. The moment they went through the gap, Fly faded from their arms. Then they flew down to the ground again.

"Gone," said Senri.

"Yes," said Soline. "He's gone."

_Fly had finally died. My mission is complete. Now I need to deal with the angel +anima. It is time to make my move. _

_-Marca Brighton _

**This is the end of Sorrow Search, the second story in the Soline Chronicles. The next story will be called Utone, Kingdom of the +Anima. There will probably be a bonus story after this chapter. Thank you to all readers of this story! **

**-Max DTM **


	8. Bonus Story

Disclaimer: I do not own +anima.

**This is the bonus story for Sorrow Search. I have one planned for Utone when that story's done too. This one's from Soline's POV**

**-Max DTM **

"_A few days ago, some man came into my cave. He said he was from the research facility…"_

I was sitting in my cave, as I had been for the past month. Believe me, after a while, things tend to get boring. But that day, I saw a light at the end of my cave.

"Hello?" I called out. "Who's there?"

"Please don't be frightened," said a figure that stepped out. He was tall man, wore glasses, and had some kind of lab coat on. Next to him was a girl in her teens, and behind all of them were a group of 12 men.

"What do you want?" I said.

"My name is Lord Fly Greena Aight," said the man. "My assistant here is Marca Brighton. I'm here to make you an offer from the Astarian Research Facility."

"Why is the Research Facility crawling around in caves looking for a kid like me?" I asked.

"We believe that you have certain abilities that could be useful to us," said Lord whatever-his-name-was. "If you would please come quietly, this would make things easier."

"Sorry Lord What's-Your-Name, no can do," I said. "Now if you'll beat it, I would be very pleased."

"If you won't come voluntarily, then we will take you by force," said Lord Whatever. "Take her." He nodded to his thugs.

The men jumped for me, but I dodged them, and blinded them temporarily. I ran out of the cave and flew away. I could hear the girl Marca screaming at me.

"We'll get you someday, Soline!"


End file.
